


Solar Shift

by Proud_Saiyan_Warrior



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst, Animalistic, Dark, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Lust, Obsession, Rape/Non-con Elements, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-25 18:27:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2631815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Proud_Saiyan_Warrior/pseuds/Proud_Saiyan_Warrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The galaxy was in a time of peace.</p><p>Where once armadas would have roamed deep space, searching for the next planet to conquer - Now they laid docked at their respective stations. The depth of space was now silent, stars glittering undisturbed and shells of planets rotating slowly around their moons. Asteroid belts ringed the center of space, guarding a large red planet and it's lowly counterparts.</p><p>It had been three years since the Saiyan race had enslaved most of the known galaxies, bringing the inhabitants of planets they conquered back to their homeworld to 'redistribute' them as they saw fit. Some managed to cling to masters as slaves, other's found their way to the markets to be sold off to the highest bidders. The smarter slaves managed to put aside their hardship and do anything possible to please their masters. One such slave was Bulma Briefs - Head Scientist for the Saiyan Empire.</p><p>This is where the human race's story ends and her's begins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friendly Fire

Bulma Briefs furrowed her eyebrows at the blue prints in front of her, willing her mind to make sense of the jumbled mess of lines and equations her lab apprentice had marked down. Exhaling, she closed her eyes.

“Okay Bulma, When you open your eyes, It will all make sense...” She murmured to herself softly.

Opening her eyes, she saw that the unsightly rendering was still upon the papers, mocking her. Becoming more frustrated than earlier, she grabbed them and tossed them in the air dramatically, watching them tumble through the air and land on the ground. The beaten scientist laid her head on the table, trying to relax and bring her temper down to a manageable level.

A figure stood in the doorway, smiling at the scene before him.

“You didn't forget about lunch did you?” He inquired, leaning against the door frame calmly. The blue haired humans head shot up and she swiveled on her chair, locking her gaze on to the visitor.

“Oh how could I forget lunch with you, The most handsome of all Saiyans.” She replied in a mocking tone, flashing him a dazzling smile. He cocked and eyebrow, his ego slightly inflating at her words despite the fact that she said them jokingly. He had known Bulma for two years now and immediately took to her sense of humor.

“Come on, We don't want you to get any weaker than you already are.” He responded, knowing it would push her buttons. Bulma sent him a dirty glare before getting up from her chair and removing her lab coat, placing it on the table. She walked to the doorway, ignoring the blue prints on the floor completely, they were rubbish at any rate.

Grabbing the Saiyans armor, she pulled him from the room and they made their way down the hall.

“Lead me to the food Kakarot, That's all your good for.” She stated, poking her tongue out at her bodyguard.  
Image  
The mess hall was buzzing with activity. It was the one place in the entire planet where lowly soldiers mingled with their elite counterparts freely, Your rank didn't mean anything in this room.

The pair followed their daily routine like a well oiled machine. Kakarot separated to stand in line for their lunch, whilst Bulma walked along the seemingly endless rows of soldiers seated at tables in order to find one herself. Today the mess hall was a little more empty than usual, meaning a table was easy to come by. Sitting down, she found herself staring at the sea of soldiers around her, chatting loudly about recent missions or idle gossip about royals. It reminded her of high school back on earth.

Before she could find herself wallowing in self pity, Kakarot returned with their lunches, seating himself across from her and sliding her tray in front of her.

“Hey, look who I found in line.” He muttered, already trying to shovel food into his mouth. Bulma turned and looked upwards, beaming. She jumped up out of her seat and threw her arms around the returned traveler, much to his surprise.

“Bardock!” she squealed, tightening her grip. Bardock looked to Kakarot for guidance, it was most unusual to be touched in this manner and he did not know the protocol. Kakarot saw his father's discomfort and swallowed before explaining.

“She calls it a hug, Just let her finish, I do.”

Bulma unwrapped herself from the man to glare at the younger saiyan.

“It's not my fault you saiyans are all emotionally crippled.”

They both ignored her remark as she sat back down, Bardock following suit.

“So dad, when'd you get back?” Kakarot questioned, shoveling more food into his mouth. Bulma opted to eat more dignified, a trait she hadn't lost from her time dwelling on earth. Bardock leaned forward, his elbows on the table.

“Last night, The prince grew tired of the planet we were on so we came back.” He mumbled, sounding somewhat depressed when speaking the latter part of the sentence. Kakarot rolled his eyes and put down his fork.

“He did it again?”

Bardock only nodded, casting a weary glance at the other saiyans around them. Bulma had no clue what they were talking about. She had heard of this mysterious prince but she'd never had the chance to meet him, if the gossip she'd heard about him was true, then she didn't want to meet him. Her curiosity got the better of her as she spoke her next words without thinking.

“What'd he do?”

The two saiyans eyes landed on her, making her feel uneasy.

“Well...What'd he do that was so bad?” She repeated, elaborating on her previous question. Bardock shot Kakarot a glance, but said nothing. Bulma turned her full attention to her bodyguard, knowing that he could keep nothing from her.

“Kakarot, Tell me.” She demanded. He shook his head quickly, making his hair sway from the speed. Bulma rolled her eyes and leaned forward, knowing that she'd have to rely on her feminine charms to get the information out of him. It was a well known fact that saiyan men were animalistic and easy to trick – if you knew their weaknesses.

Bardock stifled a laugh as he saw what Bulma's game plan was. Kakarot was trying to focus on his food, ignoring the beautiful woman in front of him trying to seduce him into telling her information that he was not supposed to share. His efforts were in vain though, as she slid his tray to the side and leaned closer, giving him a clear view down her shirt.

“You gonna tell me...?” She asked, putting on her best innocent voice. She saw his resolve failing as he leaned forward to grab her, she jumped back stealthy before he could though, earning a glare from him.

“Don't do that, You know how difficult it is for us to control our urges.” He grumbled, feeling sorry for himself.

“No I don't.” She retorted, winking.

“Ugh, Leave me alone devil woman!” Kakarot exclaimed, standing up and taking his tray with him. Bardock burst into laughter beside her, unable to control his humor at his son's expense. Bulma giggled as well as she watched Kakarot retreat from the mess hall, pushing other saiyans out of the way unkindly and storming off towards the west wing of the palace.

“You're cruel to him.” Bardock concluded once he had stopped laughing, a smile still adorning his features. Bulma faced him, noticing again how alike they both looked, down to the scars that adorned their cheeks. It was if they were carbon copies of each other. She battered her eyelashes at him slowly, moving to lean into him.

“Ah Ah...I'm not my son Bulma, You cant trick me so easily.” He stated, dashing her hopes of trying to get the information out of him. She pouted and crossed her arms, her inner genius annoyed that she didn't possess the answer to her question.

Bardock stood, pointing to her lunch.

“Finish that, I'm off to see how much damage you've done to my son.”


	2. Relive The Memories

It didn't take him long to find his youngest son, his ki signature was spiking wildly, suggesting that he was indeed where Bardock believed him to be. In the elite training room. As he drew nearer he heard the muffled grunts of a sparring match. Bardock sought out the ki signature that was with him, smiling when he realized who it was.

 

Rounding a corner, he watched the primal scene unfold before him – two brothers launching themselves at each other in mid air, like some sort of sadistic ballet come to life. The older saiyan made his way to a spectating bench, sitting quietly and masking his own power level in order to allow the boys more concentration.

 

The brother's clashed, elbow to knee and the tremendous force behind the blow made the air itself shiver. To say he was proud of his sons was an understatement. When they were born, they were thought low class and under powered and now here they both were – Elite warriors for the Saiyan Empire. As his heart swelled more with pride, he became aware that Kakarot was not holding back as much as he normally would have been with his older brother. It was no secret that the younger of the siblings was stronger and faster, a formidable foe on the battlefield – Feared by many, including members of the royal council.

 

Bardock watched on in quiet appreciation as Kakarot landed a devastating kick to his older brother's chest, sending him hurtling backwards into the wall. Raditz landed on the floor with a sickening crunch, his back pelted with small chunks of concrete wall, groaning all the while. Kakarot straightened up out of battle stance, still hovering in the air. Raditz tried to push himself up off the floor, but his arms collapsed underneath him, sending a plume of concrete dust into the air. Kakarot descended silently, making his way to his older brother as soon as his feet touched the grou  
nd.

Their father looked on, not bothering to intervene, he knew Raditz would be okay once he reached a healing tank. Kakarot lifted his older brother with ease over his shoulder, turning and noticing his father finally. He sighed, making sure Raditz was secure before starting his trek to the medical wing. Bardock stood, following his son from the training room.

 

“You went pretty far this time.” Bardock mused, allowing himself a glance at his broken son. Raditz obviously had some shattered ribs, possibly a few others breaks less visible. Blood was dripping from his mouth and nose, along with a few minor cuts. His breathing seemed labored, meaning that Kakarot had done more internal damage than Bardock had originally thought. His brows furrowed as he thought about Kakarot's ever growing strength.

 

Kakarot said nothing, continuing to walk to silence. He didn't feel like he had to answer for anything, he was a saiyan after all – It was just a friendly sparring match between brothers.

 

“You know,” Bardock whispered “If there's something bothering you, I'm here.”

 

Kakarot curled his tail tightly around his waist, protectively and bit his lip. He didn't want to talk about anything right now, he only wanted to hit something. He damned his brother mentally for being so much weaker than him, not putting up a long enough fight for him to rid himself of his thoughts and desires.

 

“You can ignore me all you like, But I'm your father. I know when something's wrong.”

 

“I'm not ignoring you, I'm just choosing not to say anything.” Kakarot hissed, finally giving Bardock the rise he needed to know something was really wrong. He decided to drop the subject for now, but tomorrow was another story. They reached the medical wing without any more conversation, loading Raditz into a healing tank.

 

“Well, What now?” Bardock questioned, leaning back against the wall.

 

Kakarot smiled, knowing exactly what they were going to do now.

\-----------

Bulma had finished her lunch as commanded and then returned to the lab. She only stayed for a short while, her brain was just not in it today. She decided to take the rest of the day to herself, retreating back to her quarters.

 

Even after all these years, she had only recently grown comfortable in her surroundings, believing that she was finally safe in this brand new world. She remembered what it was like to have fun on earth and smiled, the memories bringing her a happiness that she never would have found in them three years ago.

 

She felt the urge to just let go and indulge in some of the things she used to enjoy. Going into her walk in wardrobe, she picked out her favorite outfit – A black singlet and hot pink mini skirt. It was the first thing she'd brought when she got her first bonus for a useful invention for the empire. It reminded her of her home, of the simple pleasures of just being a girl. Changing quickly, she exited the wardrobe and started digging around in one of her drawers, hoping to find the last piece of the puzzle of memories that would make this day perfect.

 

“Aha!” She proclaimed out loud when her hands finally found her iPod. She turned the small device on and scrolled through the songs, trying to figure out which once she felt like dancing to at the moment.

 

 _'Damn...A lot of this stuff is old as hell...'_ She reflected as she scrolled through the playlists, finally selecting one. She placed her iPod in the speaker dock and cranked up the volume as one of her favorite song's in the world started to blast through the speakers, filling her with a sense of joy.

 

She suddenly decided that she wanted to take her joy to the next level, running over to the mini fridge she'd been provided with and siphoning through it, attempting to find the elusive beverage she was looking for. Saiyan Vodka. Grasping the bottle neck in her hands, she decided to throw caution to the wind and just drink it straight out of the bottle – She didn't feel like doing dishes later. Taking a rather large gulp, her eyes watered briefly as the liquid slid down her throat. It was definitely smoother than the vodka they had back on earth, but it still packed a punch. Drinking more, she started to sway with the melodic soft rock filling the room.

 

 _'Fuck it...'_ She thought, pulling the bottle back to her lips and swallowing more of the alcohol. She already felt a slight buzz, but now it was growing, allowing herself to let go completely and just be happy. The song changed, blaring loud guitar riffs and pounding drums. She didn't even notice the door to her quarters opening, but the two saiyans that entered didn't mind that she was oblivious.

 

Bardock and Kakarot both smirked at the scene before them. Bulma had obviously been drinking and she seemed to be in a good mood, despite the angry music starting to fill the room. She swayed again, noticing them watching her.

 

“Well don't be a bunch of killjoys! Get in here!” She yelled, a wide smile on her face.

 

Kakarot moved immediately, joining her in her weird movements. Bardock watched with muted laughter at his son trying to assimilate in her earth like dance moves. He looked confused, but content. Bulma burst out laughing at his attempts and grabbed his hands.

 

“No, no! You're a guy, Your not supposed to move like a chick!” She slurred.

 

“Well how am I supposed to move?” Kakarot asked, looking to his dad. Bardock shrugged in response, also new to this type of dance. Saiyans were only taught basic ballroom moves, not this wild sort of dance Bulma was displaying.

 

“Just...I don't know, This is a form of metal, so just let the music control you.” She replied, having difficulty trying to explain the concept of it to someone who had absolutely no clue.

 

“So...Like giving into your primal instincts?” Bardock inquired, intrigued at the prospect that humans had made a dance out of their animalistic feelings. Bulma nodded, smiling.

 

“It's easy, come on.” She ran over to Bardock, putting her hands on the side of his head and moving them up in down in time with the music, showing him how to do a basic headbang. She removed her hands and her smile grew as she watched him truly embrace the music. She whipped back around and went back to stand in front of Kakarot.

 

“Now your turn.” She stated, starting to sway her body from side to side. He didn't even fully register her words, his mind was wandering to other places, watching her move her hips so sensually was like a form of torture he'd never encountered. He forced himself to look her in the eyes.

 

“Come on, Channel some of that primal saiyan rage...” She whispered. Kakarot didn't know if she was doing it on purpose, but she was sounding like she was trying to seduce him. Suddenly the air felt to thick in the room for him to breathe, he felt to overwhelming urge to run – and he did.

 

Bulma was having trouble comprehending what was going on and why Kakarot had run off. Bardock seemed disinterested, moving closer to her and taking one of her hands and pulling her close to his chest, placing his hands around her and starting to sway with her to the slowing metal beat in ballroom fashion.

 

“Don't worry about him, He just needs some space.” He murmured to her, continuing to move slowly with her.

 

“Why?” She asked. She made no move to remove herself from his embrace, she was rather enjoying the slow dance he was leading her in. There was no underlying intent, she knew that. Bardock was like a father to her, always there for advice and support when it was needed. She felt safe with him.

 

“He's just...Going through a rough patch.” He responded.

 

Bulma didn't bother trying to get anymore out of the cryptic saiyan. Either he didn't know, or he felt like she didn't need to know. She found herself leaning into his chest, enjoying the dance the more they progressed, however her mind still remained trained on Kakarot and his abrupt exit – Even the alcohol couldn't cloud her mind enough to forget the look on his face. She had seen it before, but she still didn't know what it meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a typical filler chapter, but trust me, it's getting better.


	3. Practically Impractical

Kakarot awoke in the elite quarters, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He hadn't been plagued by nightmares since he was a young child, but they had returned. Shaking his head, he pushed his duvet off and stood, stretching and looking at the other bunks – They were empty. Panic set in as he fumbled around, trying to find his scouter on the floor under his bunk. After a few frantic moments, he found it, placing it on his head. Clicking a button on the side, it sprang to life and he was confronted with the time.

 

 **“10am!”** He exclaimed, **“I was supposed to escort Bulma to the lab!”**

 

He flew out of the elite quarters, his feet running as fast as he could make them. To all others in the corridor, he only appeared as a streak of colour. Within two minutes he was slowing to a stop outside Bulma's lab. He was still going too fast to register the figure of his father stepping into his path. They collided, sending Kakarot backwards on his butt. He looked up to his father, seeing his trademark smirk.

 

“I figured you could use the sleep in.” He explained, offering a hand to his son. Kakarot ignored it, giving him a glare and getting up himself.

 

“Why?” He asked, looking into the lab through the large glass windows. Bulma hand't noticed the exchange going on outside, probably because she insisted that the glass be blast proof, rendering it much like a soundproof box. He was thankful for her stubbornness now, glad she couldn't see or hear him.

 

“Well, I ended up staying with her the whole night, It's no trouble. I learn't how to function without sleep long ago.” Bardock responded, following his son's gaze to the small blue haired human.

 

“The whole night?” Kakarot tensed, feeling a sudden pang of despair at the prospect. Bardock returned his gaze to his son, observing how his tail had started thrashing about wildly, his face was still unreadable, but he didn't need facial expressions when he had a view of his tail.

 

“Nothing sinister.” He stated, not feeling the need to elaborate that he and Bulma had talked at length about his past life and hers. Guarding her was a breeze, she didn't ignore them like they were statues, she wanted to know those around her. It was nice to finally have someone to talk to, someone that understood pain and didn't judge him for the few small lapses into sadness that he suffered. He understood now why Kakarot enjoyed guarding her so much, she was a friend to everybody – A rare thing for a saiyan to experience, friendship. Kakarot's tail stopped thrashing at the reassurance of his fathers words and wrapped itself securely around his waist. He calmed visibly and looked to his father.

 

“Raditz?”

 

“He's fine.” Bardock shrugged, his eye's returning back to Bulma, hunched over a pile of computer chips and papers. She wanted him to stay in the room with her, but he would rather give her space. The invention she was currently working on was more for herself than the empire, he didn't want to stand in the way of her progress. Bardock suddenly remembered the conversation he'd had with her this morning, also his promise to tell Kakarot.

 

“By the way, There's an event Bulma has to attend tonight.” He stated flatly.

 

“What event?”

 

“She figured you'd forget. The Galactic Gala.” Bardock smiled, “She's featured this year.”

 

Kakarot shoved a palm to his face in annoyance.

 

“I totally forgot, Damn it. My royal armor isn't cleaned.” He muttered. Bardock laughed, rolling his eyes.

 

“Take the day off to clean your armor. I'll get Leitha to guard her for the rest of your shift.”

 

“Why can't you do it?” Kakarot asked. He was confused, it's not like his father had a social life to speak of. Bardock sighed.

 

“I have to attend the gala as well, You've reminded me that my armor isn't clean either.”

 

Kakarot stiffened, his tail uncurling from his waist and shaking slightly.

 

“What?”

 

“I have to attend the Prince. He's finally taking an interest in the empire.”

 

Kakarot paled, watching his father walk away to get his replacement. The last thing he needed was Bulma meeting the Prince. She'd been asking about him yesterday at lunch and she attracts trouble. If there was ever a definition of trouble, it was Prince Vegeta.

\-------------

Bulma finally left the lab late in the afternoon, she had finished her newest invention and was feeling rather pleased with herself. She couldn't wait to tell Bardock the good news, he was the only one who knew about every aspect of it and she wanted to show him the finished product before she unveiled it tonight at the gala. The spot where he normally stood was not occupied by the saiyan though, there was a different saiyan in his place.

 

“Leitha? Where's Bardock?” Bulma asked. Not that she minded seeing the female saiyan. It was so rare that she got a chance to spend time with her and she enjoyed her company. She was a female version of Kakarot, being his cousin after all. Instead of the wild mess of hair that the rest of her family possessed, hers was beautifully straight. Bulma had to admit that she was jealous of the saiyans beauty. Being the last human alive, she always wished that one day she'd be able to have children and continue her race, even just a little bit. Bardock gave her the idea of just making a child using chemistry and biology, but the idea didn't sit well with Bulma. Maybe one day she'd find another human. Leitha had children, Kakarot occasionally allowed the boys to tag along with him when he was following Bulma around, but they made Bulma sad – So he'd started to leave them behind. She felt bad about that.

 

“Him and the idiot are preparing for the gala and we have to as well.” Leitha answered, smiling and showing off her sharpened canines. Bulma smiled back, realizing what that meant.

 

“We get to dress up!” They both exclaimed in sync.

 

Bulma grabbed Leitha's hand and dragged her off towards her quarters.

 

It had been so long since Bulma had been able to dress up, there wasn't really much call for dressing up on Vegetasei. Saiyans were a very practical people, they didn't mess around with clothing and make up, but Bulma wasn't a saiyan. She was going to enjoy her night, considering she was an important guest, she needed to look fabulous and steal the show.


	4. Given A Royal Hand

Kakarot paced outside the door to Bulma quarters, becoming increasingly impatient. For the last hour he had felt her and his cousins ki bounce around like crazy. As an elite guard, it bothered him knowing that everything was fine, yet feeling ki's spike often – It was his job to pay attention to his charges ki and figure out why it was fluctuating, but considering he knew she was safe, there was nothing for him to do except ignore his job obligations. The more he paced, the more agitated he came.

_'What's taking them so damn long, We're gonna be late if they don't hurry up'_ He thought impatiently, eyeing the door as if they were doing it on purpose. He decided the spend the time more productively by making sure that he had polished his boots. Normally he wasn't so interested in such a menial thing, but tonight was special – For the empire and Bulma. He didn't want to disgrace her by appearing unkempt.

His stomach was still in knots over the earlier revelation of the Prince attending. Kakarot had known him since he was a young boy, they got along well, but he also knew the dark side of the prince. Three years ago, it was a non issue for him, he didn't care how bloodthirsty and ruthless he was, it was of no importance – He was his prince, his friend and his ally. Now things were different, he had grown a soft spot for the human woman, the one who was a magnet for trouble and bad boys. When she had first arrived, Kakarot had to fend off other saiyan males, all vying to get a piece of her, That's how he earned his place as her guard. He told her he would always be there to protect her, but he couldn't protect her forever – especially from herself.

The door opened, saving him from his emotional turmoil. Leitha stepped out first, her royal armor a mirror image of his. Bulma had obviously done something to her hair though, as it looked different. Instead of being long and straight, it was curled intricately and pulled up into an elaborate ponytail. She had a smug look on her face.

“Like what you see cousin?” She mocked, placing her hands on her hips. Kakarot scoffed.

“Even if you weren't of my blood, I still wouldn't go near you.” He responded, folding his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow. Leitha rolled her eyes.

“Well, where is she?” Kakarot demanded, becoming increasingly aware of how late they were going to be if they didn't get a move on soon.

“I'm coming!” Bulma squeaked, rushing out the door and straightening her dress. Kakarot gasped, loosing his composer for a brief moment. She looked beautiful. Her blue hair was spiked up, much like a saiyan's hair – almost making her seem like she was a saiyan. That illusion though, was shattered instantly by the rest of her outfit and body. She was wearing a short black dress with a slash in it, coloured royal blue – for the royal empire. Her eye make up was also in line with her dress, black eyeliner with blue eyeshadow. Kakarot had never seen her dressed in such a way and it caught him by surprise.

“Well, what do you think?” She asked, doing a small turn to show him the back of her outfit – which was missing. Leitha giggled beside her, obviously enjoying Bulma's human ways. Kakarot however was less than pleased at the display.

“Go change.” He stated, furrowing his eyebrows. Bulma pouted.

“Don't you like it?” She questioned, confused. “I thought it looked great!”

“That's the problem.” He responded, looking away. Leitha sighed.

“Relax cousin, We're her guards tonight, She'll be fine.”

Kakarot glared at her, annoyed that she was supporting such a large display of exposed skin on Bulma's part. Bulma nodded to Leitha, prompting the two to walk off towards the grand hall without him. He groaned internally, following behind them.

_'This is going to be a rough night'_ He thought flatly, _'I can't wait till dad see's this...'_

The grand hall was packed with dignitaries from the saiyan empire and those under it's protection. Bardock's eye's swept over every one of them with calculated suspicion. The.The prince was talking to his other guard Nappa, about their latest mission. Bardock tuned out, his role as a guard was important tonight. Anyone could be in the crowd and the prince was a very valuable part of the royal family, being the only heir with the ability to actually take the throne. As his eye's did another sweep of the entrance way, he recognized Leitha and Kakarot in their flanking formation, either side of Bulma. He did a double take, gasping loudly at her provocative outfit. A fiery ball of anger coiled in his gut.

_'What the hell was Kakarot thinking letting her out like that'_ , His fatherly instincts rearing it's head. The trio moved through the crowd with ease, it being dispersed by Bulma herself, leading the way. No doubt with an outfit like that they thought she was a royal concubine. Bardock growled internally, watching various dignitaries eyes linger on her too long. Kakarot behaved in the same manner, barring his teeth at any person in the hall staring for more than three seconds. As they reached his position, he glowered at them all equally.

“What is this?” He gestured at Bulma. Leitha visibly shrank back, whilst Kakarot nodded a reply and Bulma simply smiled.

“This is my outfit, You like?” She inquired, winking. Bardock narrowed his eyes at her.

“Are you insane?!” He whispered harshly. She only shrugged, not understanding why they were both making such a big deal about it. It's not like she was naked. Her eyes landed on a short figure, laughing loudly and draped in a royal cape.

“Ohh! Is that the prince!?” She asked, excited that she finally got the glimpse the man who everybody gossiped about. Kakarot closed his eyes and sighed deeply, instantly wishing he were far away from here on another planet. Leitha slipped away silently, opting to take up a far guarding position, weaving in and out of the crowd aimlessly.

“Bardock!” The figure yelled loudly, frightening some of the guests nearby. Bardock tensed, turning to face the prince stiffly.

“Yes, My prince?” He replied, moving to stand beside the prince, who did not even bother to look at the people he had just interrupted.

“It's time, let's move to a more advantageous position.”

With that they were off, moving towards the front of the hall were the presentations were being given. Kakarot sighed, wiping sweat that had beaded up on his forehead off with an efficient hand movement. Leitha had come and rejoined them, offering him an odd look which he ignored.

“He's kinda cute, for a bastard.” Bulma murmured. Kakarot scrunched up his face in disgust and motioned towards the front of the hall. A ball of white hot fury building in his stomach.

“Time for your presentation Bulma.” He forced politely. She nodded and headed towards her lab assistant, who was waiting patiently by the stage, holding her prototype securing in his shaking hands.

 

Bulma stood on the stage, her prototype in her hands. As she looked out on the many dignitaries in the crowd, she felt nervous. She swallowed, focusing her eyes to try and find her father figure in the crowd. He was easy to spot, stationed next to the flame haired prince. He smiled up at her, giving her a small thumbs up. She instantly felt at ease, feeling ready to begin her presentation.

“Good evening, My name is Bulma Briefs and I am the head scientist for the Saiyan empire.” She began, knowing her speech off by heart – She had rehearsed it enough in the mirror.

“For the past few months, I have been working on a Ki enhancing device. It is a small microchip that can be embedded under the skin. It interfaces with your body, allowing you to become stronger and learn new attacks that you previously had not mastered. While this invention is largely useless to most of you in this room, as I have not yet discovered a way to exceed it's already large power to even match your own – It is useful to more lower power leveled people, such as myself or low class Saiyan warriors.” She finished. Making eye contact with Bardock and receiving a nod of approval. She let go of a breath she did not know she'd been holding. _'The worst is over...'_

“I welcome any questions as to the nature and mechanics of my invention.” She announced. The room was silent for a moment, making her think that perhaps this was the wrong invention to showcase. A purple hand shot up in the front, prompting her to smile.

“Yes sir?” She asked. The purple dignitary cleared his throat.

“Do you come with this Ki enhancer? Just the sight of you makes me power level rise.” He drawled out, giving her a smirk that made her shiver. The hall erupted with hushed laughter. She took a moment to gather herself, feeling sudden stagefright. _'Maybe Kakarot was right about this outfit...'_ She thought, but she didn't have long to expand on that thought as a small ki blast interrupted her. The prince had extended his hand and shot a small blast at the purple skinned dignitary, a look of boredom on his face as his eye's met with hers. His blast finished and the hall was silent once more, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air.

“Continue.” The prince announced, annoyance was obvious in his tone. Bulma blinked and snapped out of the small trance she had fallen in to. Looking around the hall, she saw that no other hands were up. Everyone was too afraid to speak. Suddenly, a hand shot up in the air – Kakarot's hand.

“Yes?” She asked, smiling sweetly at him for having saved her from the embarrassing walk off stage prematurely. The prince looked backward, seeing who the culprit was. He clenched his teeth and furrowed his brow.

“What kind of power boost can we expect from the chip?” He asked, speaking as though he wasn't really interested – She knew what he was doing. Of course, Kakarot knew her genius, but no one else here did. He was setting them up for a shock and she was willing to give it to them.

“For example, if you are a low class saiyan warrior with a power level of 4000, you can expect to have your power level doubled in it's current programming – I do however intend to increase that level.” She answered, feeling pleased with herself as the crowd gave noises of praise at her answer. The rest of the question time passed rather fast. Before Bulma knew it, she was stepping down from the stage to her guardians. Kakarot wore a smug look, knowing that he saved her from an embarrassing exit and Leitha just beamed with appreciation, wrapping her arms around the earthling in a tight hug.

“Impressive.” Bardock's praised from behind her. “Maybe now Raditz will actually be a challenge for Kakarot in their sparring matches.” He finished with a smile. Kakarot smirked.

“But he's an elite?” Bulma asked, puzzled as to why Raditz would need the boost. Elite saiyan's were supposed to be much stronger than their lower counterparts.

“Yes, But he's still weak.” Came the Prince's voice, startling everyone in the small group. All the saiyan's stood at attention, arms to their sides and a respectful look on their faces. Bulma bowed, offering her own form of respect. The prince waved her off with his hand.

“My apologies for the disruption during your presentation.” He spoke. His voice was powerful, dignified, much like a prince's should be. Bulma smiled.

Bardock looked at the time on his scouter and turned to the prince, “We must be going Prince Vegeta, Your speech is due.”

“Excuse me, Miss Briefs.” The prince told her curtly, before turning and sweeping away from them.

_'He isn't so bad...'_ Bulma thought.


	5. Departmental Developments

The prince straightened his cape, fiddling with the latches with nervous fingers. Today was the meeting with his father he had been worrying about for weeks. The outcome of this meeting determined how much of a role he would be playing in the empire up until his father's death. He would be lying if he said he was excited, No, There was no excitement at the prospect of this – Only fear. His entire life he had been groomed to take over the empire and yet here his fate hung, on his father's opinion of him. People never really had high opinions of him, Oh they could lie and flatter him till their hearts content – But he knew better than to believe it. They feared him, as they should, He only wished that they would acknowledge it was fear and not adoration that kept them licking his boots.

Bardock hovered beside him, keeping a watchful eye on the Prince's ki fluctuations.

“You'll be fine.” The elite murmured, giving him a sly smile. The Prince stiffened.

“I know that.” He stated simply, allowing a small amount of edge in his voice.

Bardock continued to smile. His life was easier now that the empire wasn't at war with other planet's and their monarchy – Life was always easier when you weren't constantly looking over your shoulder. All the other elites felt bad for him, having to guard the Prince constantly. He didn't mind it, he had known Prince Vegeta ever since he was a baby, his son had grown up with him. Of course the Prince's temper kept him on edge, but that just came with the job description, it was only a minor down point all thing's considered.

The large double doors to King Vegeta's solar opened, beckoning them to enter. Prince Vegeta took a deep breath and straightened his back, stepping forwards with an air of confidence cloaking him. Bardock followed, lowering his head in respect to his Prince and King.

 

“Son, You've been asking about a larger role in the empire.” King Vegeta posed. The Prince nodded respectfully, attempting to keep his emotions in check. Being around his father put him in a bad mood.

“And I heard there was some commotion at last night's event...” The King finished, trailing off his sentence. Bardock sensed a small hum of enjoyment from the Prince's ki. He seemed rather pleased about the event's of the night previous, Bardock shifted slightly, keeping his eye's glued to the ground.

“Yes father.” The Prince responded, still holding his head high.

“And the nature of this disagreement?” The King inquired, knowing full well that his son would not divulge the information unless asked directly. Vegeta swallowed, exhaling.

“A visiting foreign dignitary was offering offense to our head scientist during her presentation. I took it upon myself to punish him accordingly.”

King Vegeta arched an eyebrow, watching his son carefully for any indications of a lie. Although he could not see anything amiss in his face, his ki was oddly giddy about the entire situation. Though it was not rare for the prince to show signs of happiness at killing someone, the circumstances still perplexed the king.

“So you thought it wise to disintegrate him?” The king questioned, a hint of amusement present in his tone, though his face showed none.

Prince Vegeta nodded, “I felt it...Appropriate. He was mocking our head scientist.”

King Vegeta raised a hand to his chin, seemingly in deep thought.

“Well, You seem to have taken a sudden interest in our science department. Perhaps it's time for you to take charge of operations there.” The King stated.

Prince Vegeta smirked, _'Everything is going according to plan...'_

“I would be honored father.” The Prince finished, bowing deeply and turning to leave – His cape fluttering out behind him. Bardock fell in behind him.

“You interested in hanging out with my son?” Bardock joked. The prince turned his head and smirked – making Bardock uneasy, it was the same smirk he wore whilst he was doing something reckless.

“Something's caught my interest, but it is not your son...”

The exchange did not go unheard by the King, who narrowed his eyes, realizing he'd just been played by his son. King Vegeta was glad that his son had finally come into the folds of the empire, willing to learn, but it seems he also has other interests within the science department. He resolved to speak with his Queen about these developments. Their son needed to be kept on a short leash, he was reckless and had a bloodlust that dwarfed his own – That was dangerous. The Saiyan Empire's future was in the hand's of a certifiable psychopath.

 

Kakarot was in Bulma's lab, helping her test out some of her smaller inventions.

“Come on, It won't hurt.” She pleaded, her blue eyes locked onto his onyx one's. He gave her a look of contempt, setting his mouth in a firm line. His patience was starting to run low today and she was bothering him for some reason – She never usually bothered him but today was an exception.

“I know it won't hurt, You probably won't even break the skin.” He muttered, rolling his eyes and extending his arm towards her. She smiled, _'That's what you think...'_

She brought the blade down in a slashing motion, leaving a rather nasty cut on his arm. The blood started pouring immediately as he hissed in agony, clutching at the wound. He felt the blood oozing though his finger's, leaving warm trails of red before dripping down onto the pristine white floor. His tail puffed up as a result of his pain, twitching about with rage. Bulma wore a smirk on her face, pleased with the results so far.

“This doesn't look like science.” The Prince's voice announced, walking into the lab and sniffing the air, smiling as he did so. Bulma dipped her head slightly in respect and then looked back to Kakarot's arm, which was leaving a small pool of blood on her floor.

“I agree.” Kakarot hissed out, his head starting to spin due to blood loss. The pool on the ground was slowly getting bigger. Bulma rolled her eyes, grabbing a small tube off the lab table and opening it, letting the liquid pour out on to her hand. She rubbed them together quickly.

“This is a fast acting healer. It's a modified version of the liquid from the healing tanks. You rub it together to create friction, which causes the solution to become fast acting.” She stated, pressing her hands to Kakarot's open wound. He hissed once more, his tail thrashing wildly at the sensation. It was excruciating to say the least, but his heart still beat faster from having her hands on his skin.

The prince watched in muted pleasure, enjoying the sight of his friend having pain inflicted on him by a mere earthling – It was hilarious. Moving closer, the scent of blood became more pungent – Obviously they had been at this odd experiment for a while now. He watched as Kakarot's skin started to knit together, covering up the large gash that had just been present.

“There you go, Good as new!” Bulma beamed, pleased with herself that the solution had passed the Saiyan trials. Kakarot glared at her, wiping his bloodied hand on his armor.

“Your methods are flawed.” He stated.

“My method's produce results.” She countered, offering them both a smile and picking up the blade and cleaning it.

“She has a point Kakarot.” The Prince agreed.

“Is there anything I can do for you Your Highness?” Bulma asked politely, placing the blade back on the lab table. Kakarot rolled his eyes and sighed, just thankful that the torture was finally over.

“You can call me Vegeta. I was just coming to check on my new assignment.” He stated, his eyes sweeping over the lab. This woman was very messy, despite having a brilliant mind she could not seem to organize a simple lab. Kakarot groaned inwardly at the revelation.

“From now on, You will report to me with any ideas, inventions and for testing. I want to know everything that's happening in the science department from now on. Is that clear?”

Bulma nodded, wondering why the empire suddenly believed she needed a babysitter.

“My solar is next to the elite training room. I expect a full report on this experiment of yours tonight.” He concluded, sweeping out of the room like a hurricane. Bulma looked to Kakarot with a confused expression.

“What the hell was that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will probably be heavily edited in the future, but for now, I will continue posting my raw work. Much love to everyone who reads this x


	6. Calm Before The Storm

Bulma swayed nervously outside the Prince's door. Not long after he had left abruptly this afternoon – Kakarott had fled as well, claiming he had something important to do. She was left alone wondering what she was supposed to say to the Prince about her test's, she wished Kakarott had given her some guidance. She hadn't met the elusive Prince until the night of the gala and then again when he came into the labs – She knew nothing but gossip about him and now she was going to be alone with him. She shivered as she remembered the tales the soldiers told each other about him.

_“He's amazing, did you hear about what happened on planet TR-687? He killed all the males on the planet and tortured the females.”_

_“He killed another concubine, I heard he ripped her in half, but that's just what Cerelz told me”_

_“The Prince seriously injured so many elite's today in training that they ran out of healing tanks – I think he's aiming for the legendary rank. No one's ever reached that before, It's only fitting that the most brutal of our race does! Wouldn't that be cool”_

The solider's talked about him like he was some sort of sadistic god, Bulma's stomach turned at the prospect. Of course he seemed nice enough, but they all do when you first met them – They morph into monsters before your eyes. She was no stranger to the fact that the Saiyan race was violent, she knew it well enough from her planet's capture and take over, yet she felt herself slowly attaching to them – no matter how brutish, they were her masters now.

Raising her hand, she knocked on the door tentatively. She bit her lip, waiting for him to open it, but instead was met with a regal yell from within.

“Come in Earthling.” His voice beckoned. She placed her hand on the scanner, allowing it to scan her print so she could enter. The screen bleeped, letting her know that she had clearance and the door opened slowly with a small 'swoosh'.

Stepping inside, she gasped at the elaborate room. The walls were stone, but painted black and blue. The drapes were royal blue – The colour's of the Vegeta family, and the furniture was all black. It was minimal and functional, she didn't expect anything else, but she did expect a more neutral colour scheme – like the rest of the building. Looking up to the roof, she saw that there was only glass, the stars of the Vegetasei sky clearly visible.

“Like the ceiling?” The Prince mused from his position by a large black desk. Bulma dragged her eye's from the ceiling to see him smiling.

“It's so pretty.” She mumbled, surprised. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I wouldn't call it _'pretty'_ , I'd call it inspiring, but I suppose a lesser being like yourself can be forgiven for thinking so.”

Bulma scowled, crossing her own arms over her chest, shifting her weight to her left leg.

“You wanted to see me Prince Vegeta.” She remarked, allowing a small amount of annoyance to accent his name. He ignored it, as though he didn't even register her frustration.

“Yes, You are to give me the run down on your experiment from today.” He answered, moving to take a seat behind his desk. Bulma moved forwards, taking the seat across from him and crossing her legs.

“Well, I've been thinking that it would take a load off the medical team if they had easier application methods to fix small wounds. It's not practical to place someone in a healing tank to repair a cut or minor injury. The healing solution could also be given to warriors before purging missions – I've been looking over the notes and a lot of incident's happen during the missions that could easily be fixed with the solution instead of them having to enter the tanks and be a team member down.” She concluded.

The Prince nodded, leaning back in his chair and observing her.

“Do you think that the test was successful enough to merit mass production?” He inquired.

“Yes, I believe we have all the results we need. It is safe for your soldiers.” She answered, the nervousness starting to slide away. This was just like a meeting at Capsule Corp, where she'd pitch new idea's – It felt silly to be worried about this now, she'd been doing it ever since she was in high school.

The Prince eye'd her carefully, finally able to look at her properly. She carried herself well enough. The thing that caught his eye though was her unusually coloured hair, that and her intelligence of course. There was no denying that she was beautiful – A wonderful asset. Bulma tensed, feeling his eye's sweeping over her. He smirked.

“Why did you cut Kakarott?” He asked, fascination evident in his question. Bulma was perplexed, why did that matter?

“Be...Because I had to?” She replied, feeling the nervous feeling she had before return. The Prince cocked an eyebrow, the smirk still on his face.

“Because you had to? Or because you wanted to?” He questioned further.

Bulma shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not liking the look in his eye's. They were dancing with excitement.

“Don't worry Miss Briefs, I'm simply interested as to whether human's can share the same bloodlust that us Saiyan's do. Let's say it's...Purely scientific interest.” He stated, leaning forward. Bulma looked away, trying to hide from the Prince's gaze, it felt like it was searing her skin.

“I...I suppose some human's do share it, but those are not people I'd associate with...”

The Prince snorted, causing her to return her gaze to his. She glared, barely controlling her temper.

“You live with blood thirsty killers, and yet you say you wouldn't associate with human's that did the same? I find that very funny.” His smile was wide, showing off his frighteningly white fangs. Bulma noticed that Saiyan's had these, though she couldn't fathom what for – They weren't vampires, so why on earth have fangs? She always supposed it was part of their ape deal, but she never really knew. She made a mental note to check on that later.

“That's different.” She muttered, standing, “Good night Prince Vegeta.”

As she was walking to the door, she felt a small breeze. She didn't even have a moment to prepare herself as she was pinned up against the door by the Prince's muscular frame – Looking down into her eyes.

“How is it different exactly?” He asked, pushing her arms to the wall, giving her no room to run away. Bulma bit her lip and her eye's started to well up with tears, his grip was so tight, it felt like her wrists were going to be crushed if he applied anymore pressure. Her heart was beating rapidly, from fear and anxiety. She knew now, looking into his dark eye's that all the rumours and gossip about him were true – He was a killer, and He liked it.

The Prince leaned close to her neck, inhaling deeply then letting go of her wrists. He placed his palm on the scanner, opening the door and watching her fall into the waiting arms of Kakarott.

“Good Night Miss Briefs.” He stated, the door closing again, shielding her from his stormy gaze.

 

Bulma breathed deeply, willing her heart to slow down. Kakarott lifted her up on to her feet with ease, holding a gentle hand on her arm to steady her.

“Kakarott, What are you doing here?” She asked, running a hand through her hair. He let go of her, noticing her compose was returning.

“I felt your Ki going wild. What happened?”

Worry was seizing in his chest, she didn't appear to be hurt, but she was shaken. She shook her head.

“Nothing, I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow.” She smiled softly, he could tell it was pained and he could tell she was lying. He watched her walk down the hall towards her quarters, rubbing one of her wrists.

Kakarott turned, glaring at the Prince's door and stalked off – Back toward the Elite's quarters.


	7. Confrontational Feelings

Bulma was still shaken from the night before, but she had pulled herself out of bed and readied herself to go into the lab. Her wrists still hurt, she looked down to see ugly bruises covering them like vicious bracelets. Wincing, she sighed. It had never been easy adapting to living with the Saiyans, but it was her only choice – She didn't want to be sold as a pleasure slave at the auctions. Deep down, she knew they were in touch with their inner animals more than the humanoids they appeared to be, you only had to observe their behavior to see such things. They were animals and she had freely entered their cage.

Pulling on her high heeled boots, she smiled. They were one of the item's she had been able to pay for with her last bonus from the Empire. It was the simple things that reminded Bulma to keep going, music, shoes and clothes. Some may think that's petty, but it kept her smiling on the hard days. When you lose your planet, you lose part of your soul with it, You fill the void with anything you can. She hadn't forgiven the saiyans for it, but she had learnt to live with the cards she was dealt. No matter what happened to the Earth – She needed to prove to these animals that the human race was strong.

Standing, she took a look at herself in the mirror. She was vain, she could admit it. Everything looked in order, however she did a count, just to be sure.

“Clothes, check. Eyeliner, Check. Hair, Check. Alright Bulma, Time to work...” She muttered.

She opened her bedroom door to find the usual sight of Kakarott leaning against the opposite wall. She smiled at him, but he only gave her a sideways glance, pushing himself away from the wall with his tail and offering his arm to her.

“Ready to go?” He asked, his voice sounded off, but Bulma ignored it. If something was bothering him, It was probably something to do with another elite. She didn't talk battle with Kakarott, or training. She felt uncomfortable talking about him hurting people, even if it was other Saiyans. She supposed she'd have to get used to it someday, but she always wished that day was far off.

“Sure.” She replied cheerily, wrapping her arm in his and setting off towards the lab. He was walking slowly, but she still had trouble keeping up.

“Hey, slow down a bit!” She complained. Kakarott rolled his eye's.

“It's those stupid shoes you're wearing. They aren't practical.” He stated. Bulma narrowed her eyes and huffed.

“So what? I like them.”

“Why? You can't use them in battle, you can't run in them, so what's the point?” He questioned, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Duh, of course not. I like them because they make my figure more pronounced.”

Kakarott stopped, giving her a disbelieving look.

“You don't need to pronounce your figure. We can all tell you're a human female.”

Bulma sighed, “Never mind.”

They continued walking until they reached the lab. Bulma let go of Kakarott's arm and headed straight for her lab coat, whilst he took up position on one of her lab tablets. He sat on the table, with one leg drawn up and his chin resting on it, his tail dangling lazily towards the floor. Bulma observed this and giggled, causing him to look at her.

“What?” He growled softly, causing Bulma to giggle more.

“You just remind me of a time I went to the zoo is all.” She responded, buttoning up her lab coat.

“What's a zoo?” He asked, confused. Bulma shook her head and smiled, heading over to her desk to grab a pile of notes one of the lab assistants had left for her.

 

 

Four hours later, Bulma was hunched over a microscope looking at some DNA samples she had taken from Kakarott and herself. She was trying to figure out how close the human and Saiyan DNA really was. Kakarott had not moved from his lazy position on the lab table, his tail still twitching lazily. Bulma was engrossed in what she was doing, so he took the time to admire her.

He never understood why the humans fetched a large price at the slave auctions until he met her. She would have sold for at least a small planet. His eye's drifted over her body. She had gorgeous legs, pale and soft. Her hair was by far his favourite part though, along with her eyes. Glorious blue, the kind you feel like you can swim in. He shuddered softly, feeling oddly aroused just be thinking about her eyes. He looked away, willing the feelings to leave. This wasn't the first time he'd been thinking about her in such a way. Lately she consumed his dreams as well, it was driving him wild to know it wasn't real, that it was all an illusion. Yet he craved it, more than anything else in the universe.

A powerful ki was approaching the lab and Kakarott jumped off the table and stood at attention, awaiting the arrival of the ki's owner.

Prince Vegeta entered seconds later, his dark eye's scanning the lab before landing on the scientist who didn't even register his presence. He ignored it, choosing to question Kakarott instead.

“What is she doing?”

“She's analyzing DNA, She wanted to see how close our races are biologically.” He replied, relaxing as he realized Vegeta wasn't here to cause trouble for her. Although he was his friend and prince, he didn't like how Vegeta handled things and he most certainly didn't approve of what happened the night before.

Vegeta nodded, giving her another quick glance before returning his gaze to Kakarott.

“You feel up for a spar? None of the other's can keep up.” Vegeta grunted, his face turning to look at Bulma again with an unreadable expression.

“Sure.” Kakarott beamed. He needed a good fight, he hadn't had one in weeks.

Bulma looked up from her microscope and glared, “You can't just take my guard.”

The Prince smirked, “Don't worry woman, I'm sure you can protect yourself.”

The two saiyan's left the lab quickly, feeling Bulma's ki rise with annoyance.

 **“My name is Bulma!”** She yelled to their retreating figures.

 

 

The two saiyan's started lightly, feinting and warming up. Vegeta had demanded all the other elite's to leave the training room when they had arrived, leaving them alone. Kakarott smiled at the prospect of not having to hold back his energy now, finally he could get rid of some of these pent up feelings.

“Alright Kakarott, Time to get serious.” Vegeta declared, smiling.

“I thought you'd never ask.” Kakarott replied, before launching himself at the prince. Their fists collided and sent energy crackling through the room like an electrical storm. They both smirked and flew backwards, putting some distance between themselves. Vegeta was the first to rush, whilst Kakarott stayed back, dodging just as the Prince got too close. Vegeta turned quickly, growling and giving chase. When he caught up, Kakarott tried to defend but got shot down by a ki blast. He hit the ground hard, but sat up a few moments later, looking up at Vegeta.

“Hey, you never said blasts.” He growled, the smile had left his face.

“Tell me Kakarott...” Vegeta growled, “What's bothering you?”

Kakarott stood and flew up to the prince, getting back into battle stance.

“Nothing's wrong.” He growled in reply, his tail coiling around his waist tightly.

“You're lying to me.” Vegeta answered. Kakarott tried to punch him, but he deflected it deftly and elbowed him in the face, sending him sideways and into a wall. Vegeta turned and sighed.

“Is it that woman? She is rather...unique.” Vegeta stated, watching Kakarott's face carefully as he said the words. Kakarott snarled, his tail unwrapping from his waist and swaying behind him viciously.

“It is the woman. I tell you what, I'll spare her if I can, after I've had my fun of course.”

Kakarott growled loudly and launched himself at Vegeta, but with his tail swaying freely, he was a large target. Vegeta dodged and grabbed Kakarott's tail, spinning him around a few times before tossing him to the floor below. Kakarott landed hard and felt the blood pooling around him. Vegeta landed next to him and got down on a knee to whisper in his ear.

“She's _mine_. Remember that.”

The prince walked off, summoning the medics to rush Kakarott to a healing tank right away or they'd 'misplace' their heads. As he felt his body being lifted, he ignored the pain. He needed to get healed fast, he needed to tell Bulma, before it was too late.

_'I have to save her from herself...'_


	8. The Slow Burn

He was barely conscious when the medic's placed him in the healing tank, closing the door and activating the gel and water to mix into the tank. As the water and gel mixture rose up his body, he felt the familiar warmth of the healing liquids seeping into his body. He closed his eyes slowly, allowing his fantasies to take him away from the horror that was becoming his life.

 

 

Kakarot woke a few hours later, his eye's lazily surveying the medical bay. It was empty, not a soul in sight – It must be dinner time.

His mind drifted to the more concerning matter, Vegeta's plans for Bulma. His face twitched angrily as he remembered the way Vegeta had spoken about her earlier, before laying his claim to her. It was not too late to save her though, so long as he got her away from Vegeta before he marked her officially.

_'I just need to get out of this damn tank and see her. I need to warn her, I can't let him have her...Not her...'_

He noticed a small movement in the doorway. It was her, she'd come to see him. He smiled, watching her walk towards his tank. She looked exactly as she had earlier, not a hair out of place – Vegeta hadn't got to her yet. Kakarot felt a white hot pain shoot through his chest as he thought of all the thing's Vegeta would do to her. Bulma raised her hand and placed it on the tank's thick glass, smiling softly at the slowly healing saiyan within, his normally bright eyes looked dull and desperate. He tried to raise his own hand but the pain was too much, grimacing, He wished she could hear his thought's.

 _'If only we were bonded...'_ He thought sadly.

“You got your ass handed to you hun...” She voiced, smiling all the while. He narrowed his eye's at her – Not appreciating her humor right now. Bulma felt awkward talking to him when he couldn't reply, She could never read his eye's so she had no indication of what he was thinking. She busied herself for a moment, looking over the print out charts of Kakarot's condition. He had an extensive amount of broken bones and a punctured lung – Which explained why he was in there for so long after a small sparring match.

She opened her mouth to say something to him, but when her eye's glanced at the tank – She saw that his eye's were closed and a smile adorned his face.

“Guess the next round of pain relief kicked in...” She muttered to the empty room, pursing her lips and sighing. He had only been out of commission for a few hours and yet she missed him, He was like her shadow. Bulma kissed her hand and placed it against the glass one last time, before turning to leave. Her path was immediately blocked by the Prince.

“Woman, how is he?”

She flinched at the tone in his voice, it was demanding and he seemed on edge, her mind replying flashbacks of the of the last time they were alone.

“He's fine...Just needs some rest. You beat him pretty bad...”

He smirked, walking towards Kakarots tank, looking at his friend floating in the green liquid.

“He had it coming.” He stated, a hint of sadness mixed in with his usually arrogant voice.

Bulma quirked an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of Vegeta's statement. How could Kakarot have that coming? To her knowledge he hadn't done anything wrong, he was the perfect guardian, She didn't see where the need to beat the life out of him had come from. She found herself staring at the prince's tail – wrapped around his waist as he continued looking at the tank, his mind consumed with regret over the path his friend had taken.

 _'He is an animal, They all are...'_ Her brain reminded her.

“Did he do something wrong?” She asked, dragging her eye's away from the Prince's tail slowly to look at the back of his head. He didn't shift and for a moment she thought he hadn't heard her at all.

“Yes.” His reply came. Bulma pressed on, wanting to know why her best friend was broken.

“What'd he do?” She questioned, moving near the tank.

He turned, his eye's dancing over her body with a burning gaze.

“He was becoming fixated on something that wasn't his.”

Bulma raised an eyebrow in confusion. To her knowledge Kakarot was a model Saiyan, he never did anything wrong – By their standards at least. With her limited knowledge of the Saiyan culture, she could only deduce that he had gone against a direct order, but he wasn't dead, so that couldn't be the case at all. Her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to puzzle out the mystery. Vegeta said he was fixated on something that wasn't his...

“Did he take an interest in someone's mate?” Bulma questioned, figuring that it was the only logical answer left.

Vegeta turned towards her, his gaze settling on her's and it lingered for quite some time before he bothered to answer. Bulma felt her heart racing – She was standing in front of a cold blooded killer and he had his eye's directly on her. One false step and she could be ashes under his powerful blast.

“Something of the sort.” His reply left Bulma with more questions than answers.

“You're very cryptic.” She responded, covering her mouth immediately – Horrified that the words had flown out without her brains permission. Vegeta smirked, giving her a glimpse of his white fangs.

“I have heard that before.” He stated.

Kakarot's tank started beeping wildly, causing them both to take note of what was happening. Bulma rushed past Vegeta, bumping him lightly in her haste to see what was wrong with her friend. In the tank, Kakarot was thrashing wildly, his face contorted in anger. The read out showed that nothing was wrong with him, yet he continued to thrash about like he was trying to escape. Bulma started panicking, looking to Vegeta for guidance.

“What's wrong with him!?” She cried, distressed at her friend's condition.

Vegeta walked towards the tank slowly until his face was mere inches from the glass. Kakarot stopped thrashing immediately, locking eye's with him. Bulma watched their exchange, unsure of what was happening between the two. Kakarot's lips curled back into a ferocious growl, exposing his fangs at Vegeta. The prince reacted much the same way, however his growl was able to be heard – low and terrifying. It reminded her of wild cats – fighting over territory.

Their exchange lasted for only a few more seconds.

“He needs pain medication. The other sedatives have worn off.” Vegeta stated, his teeth still bared at the other Saiyan. Bulma nodded, hastily pushing the button that would give him extra sedatives. Kakarot brought his fist up to the glass, pounding on it and thrashing again. Vegeta smirked, laughing softly.

“Sleep well Kakarot.” He muttered, spitting on the floor before turning to Bulma.

“Woman, Since Kakarot is no longer available for testing of inventions, I will take his place.”

Bulma nodded, her heart still beating erratically from the close call with Kakarot. She gave his tank one last glance before turning to leave with Vegeta. Kakarot's eye's were beginning to close, but his hand was still resting against the glass, as he saw her looking, he opened his fist – extending his fingers. Bulma smiled softly at the gesture, but continued walking – The last thing she needed was to waste the Prince's time.


	9. The Future Echoes.

After twelve more hours, Kakarot emerged from the healing tank, greeted with the glare of his father. His body ached, but felt refreshed and ready for anything. Flexing his cramped muscles, he cracked his neck, releasing some of the pent up stress that had accumulated. Bardock watched in disinterest at his son's routine, more pressing matters on his mind. Kakarot completed his stretches, finally giving his father his full attention.

“Yes?” He asked, his onyx eye's fixing on his father's glare.

“Mind telling me how you ended up in a healing tank?” Bardock replied, his normal tone had morphed into that of a concerned, albeit disappointed father's. Kakarot rolled his eyes, feeling rather annoyed with the stupidity of the question. Wasn't it obvious?

“I should think you already know the answer to that.” He responded, grabbing a towel off a nearby table and wiping some of the excess gel from his skin.

“I do, But I want the truth.”

Kakarot scoffed, “I hardly think Vegeta held back on telling you that he kicked my ass. That's all there is to it.”

Throwing the towel back onto the bench, he shook out his tail, flinging the excess moisture all around the room. His tail puffed up and slowly curled it's way back around his waist, not forgetting what had happened it to the last time it was left to it's own devices. There was still a dull throbbing all along it's length from the sheer force of the spin, it would take a while for that pain to go away.

“Of course not. But I can tell when he's hiding something, Just like I can with you. Spit it out.”

Kakarot looked at his father, weighing up whether or not it was a good idea to let him in on all of his emotional turmoil of the last few months, along with the newest problem. His father could be trusted to keep his secrets, he knew this, but he was scared of him thinking less of him for it. His problem was rather unheard of, as it stood he was already an oddball in the Saiyan community, he felt like anymore pressure might send his father into a frenzy. Bardock had always prided himself on his sons, always telling others that his son's were his main achievement's in life.

“I see no need to worry you with such trivial matters.” Kakarot finally breathed out, feeling suddenly crushed by the weight of his problems. He just wanted to forget about Bulma, talking about it would only make it real.

Bardock sighed, “Don't talk to me like I'm your Prince. I'm your father.”

“Sometimes I forget when to turn the Elite off...”

“Stop changing the subject.”

“I just want to be left alone.” Kakarot growled, pushing past his father with one destination in mind. The Elite Lounge.

 

 

Bardock knew it was only a matter of time before his youngest son snapped under the pressure. Saiyan's weren't emotional by nature and Kakarot had too many emotions to be considered normal. As he grew, his emotions ruled him more than his brain, leading to the discovery of his amazing power levels – Which earn't him one of the best jobs an Elite could have, but it had also cost him dearly. No one wanted to get close to him, he was a force to be reckoned with when he was mad.

Sighing, he decided it was time to finally return to bed. Leaving the medical wing, he walked slowly towards his quarters, almost hoping that his son would come back and seek him out. Of course he knew that would not happen. His youngest was much too private – never let people into his affairs unless he had to, a trait he'd borrowed off the Prince.

As he reached his quarters, he finally allowed himself to relax. If his son needed him, he would come to him. He prepared his bed and had started to remove his armor when a large pain began to eat away at his brain. It came in sharp spasms, causing him to fall to his knees and groan. He closed his eye's to block out the pain, biting his lower lip. The pain only intensified as an image materialized in front of his eyes, as if they were open and viewing it first hand.

It was fuzzy, but he could see Vegeta and Bulma together, they were laughing about something in her lab. She was touching his arm gently, he was smirking. Bardock shook his head, feeling as though what he was seeing was very private. Vegeta grabbed Bulma, pulling her to him and kissing her with brutal force, she wrapped her arms around him and in return he pushed her up against a wall. Bardock closed his eye's tightly as he saw Vegeta moving in to mark Bulma as his mate. This was far too private for his liking.

The vision dissipated, only to be placed with another. Bardock watched as the vision finally took shape, gasping as he saw the focus. His youngest son, Kakarot, was with a woman. He couldn't see who she was, but he knew her ki signature. Bulma. His son was attached to her neck, teeth embedded deep in her skin. She was screaming, clawing at his arms with weak fingers.

As Bardock went to reach out to help her, the vision vanished, leaving him alone in his quarters. He was breathing heavily, sweat drenched him and the pain in his head had deserted him. He had no clue what to make of what he saw, whether or not it was real or imaginary. One thing was certain though, the vision answered some of his questions. Seeking out Bulma's ki, he figured out that she was in her room – sound asleep. Vegeta's ki was erratic, but that was usual for him, he was located in the training rooms. The next ki Bardock searched for was obvious, but the location shocked him.

Pushing himself up off the ground, he hissed in anger. Perhaps it was because of the visions, or perhaps it was because he was allowing his fatherly instincts to take over – but whatever the case, he was not happy with what his youngest was doing.

 

 

Kakarot decided that the best way to rid himself of these unwanted emotions, was to visit the Elite Lounge. A place where all the Elite male's had access to at any time of the day or night. He had been once before with his brother, but he had not partaken in any of the activities. Tonight though, he felt the need to forget about his troubles. He knew Bulma was safe for now, so the only logical thing he could think to do was to rid himself of this tension he'd built up over the last few months.

“Which girl would you like?” The small Lyra asked politely, his hand gesturing to the line up of girls he had brought forward. He eye'd the Lyra suspiciously, wondering how someone of their planet could have such a low power level that they'd end up here, as front of house for a place like this.

His eye's sweeped over the line up of girls he'd brought forward. None of them were ugly, but none of them particularly caught his attention either.

“Do you have any with blue eyes?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

The Lyra nodded, “Go get Jayza!” He yelled to another staff member.

“They're all beautiful...but their just not my type sorry...” He mumbled, feeling awkward about every aspect of this. The Lyra just smiled.

“That's fine, we're here to serve.”

A moment later the staff member returned with a petite fair skinned girl. Her eye's were the exact blue he'd been looking for all along, reminding him immediately of the reason he was here. She was close enough in looks, although her hair was purple and she had a tail much like his own, she was an alien and she had blue eyes. Close enough.

“She'll work out.” He stated, walking over to the girl. She smiled softly, although it was obvious to him that she was scared. Who wouldn't be, working in a pleasure house on the Saiyan homeworld. He took her hand and allowed her to lead him to a room out the back of the establishment, away from all the other patrons and the noise of the bar itself.

She unlocked the door, stepping inside and giving him a large amount of space to enter himself before she shut the door and locked it. He watched her twiddle her thumbs nervously.

“Are you scared?” He asked her, feeling as though talking would help her and him both. This was his first time doing anything like this, he had no idea what he was doing. She nodded, moving to stand in front of him.

“So am I...” He whispered, breathing deeply.

Her eye's twinkled as she smiled at his admission. His heart skipped a beat at their twinkling.

“My name's Jayza...What's yours?” She asked, walking over to the mini bar to grab them both a drink. Kakarot was thankful for her quick thinking, the alcohol would make this easier on the both of them.

“My name's Kakarot.” He replied. He took a moment to look over the alien, admiring her tail in particular – it was a beautiful brown, much like his own only her's was a little darker in colour. He wondered briefly what planet she had come from, but swept that thought away quickly. What did it matter where she came from? She was just a whore. He reminded himself that he was a Saiyan, that he was better off keeping his personal thoughts and feelings bottled up. After all, wasn't that why he was here? To rid himself of his emotions.

“Hm...I think I've heard that name before. You are pretty important around here aren't you?”

He quirked an eyebrow, unaware that gossip spread so far as to reach the whores.

“I suppose.” He responded, dead pan. She returned with a bottle of Saiyan Vodka, extending it out for him to grab. The top was already discarded he noted, as he took it from her. A feeling of anxiety washed over him, but he drowned it quickly with a swig of the clear liquid. He needed to do this, he couldn't let his emotions rule him any longer.

“So, what brings you here Kakarot?” She questioned, sitting on the bed. She crossed her legs tightly and took a sip of her own drink, her eye's watching him all the while.

“I want you to make me forget.” He answered without thinking. His mind chastised him for the admission, but did it really matter? She was a whore – She couldn't judge him.

“Forget what?”

“The one thing I can't have.” He replied, locking eye's with her. She smiled sweetly, putting her drink down and curling a finger towards herself.

“Come here and I'll make you forget.” She purred. Kakarot could smell the fear radiating off her skin, although her tongue was good with the false confidence, her smell could not be hidden. A tingle of joy raced through his body. The Saiyan in him loved that she was scared of him, it excited him, knowing that he had power over someone that way. In a society where your strength inspired fear in all those other than the one's of your own race, it was rare to see absolute fear.

He stepped forward, pushing all other thoughts away as he undid his armor, dropping it to the floor. He was resolved to forget about Bulma, he'd do anything it took to rid himself of the thought's that had been torturing him. Advancing on the purple haired girl, he smiled. She'd make him forget.


	10. A Fathers Conclusion

Kakarot didn't leave the back room when he had finished with Jayza. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to his chest, breathing in her scent. She allowed him, it was a nice change of pace to her usual clients. He had stayed the entire night with her, rotating between holding each other and gaining pleasure from each other. Kakarot knew the owner was going to put a heavy bill on his account, but he didn't care. He never used it anyway, meaning there was a bunch of credits on there – enough to cover this visit and a few more at least.

His scouter beeped from the pile of armor on the floor and he sighed, disentangling himself from Jayza and getting up to check it. A message was flashing on the screen – From Bulma. He growled as he listened to it, not entirely sure that he was ready to face her yet, especially considering the contents of the message.

_“Meet me at the lab. Vegeta is helping us today.”_

Her cheery voice pissed him off more. She had absolutely no idea about how much danger she was in, He knew that, but he still blamed her. If she had just ignored the Prince at the gala, everything would still be as it normally was – He may have even had a chance with her himself.

As he pulled his armor back on, Jayza got up herself. After his armor was on, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him from behind.

“Are you coming back tonight?” She whispered lightly, her grip tightening slightly in anticipation. Kakarot smirked, flashing his white fangs down at her as he looked over his shoulder.

“Maybe. You'll just have to see.” He replied, feeling the negative feelings from before wash away. He loved feeling needed, it empowered him to have her eager for his return. Her scent suggested that she wasn't lying either, that she truly hoped he would return.

“I have to go.” He stated, pulling away from her and flashing her one last smirk before exiting the room.

 

 

Bardock was outside the Elite Lounge, waiting for Kakarot to exit. His ki signature told him that his youngest was still inside the establishment, but he would have to leave soon – He knew that Bulma would be expecting him at the lab.

Still agitated from his visions last night, Bardock's tail was swishing behind him. No matter how much he was trying to ignore them, they had taken hold in his mind. He didn't know if he could really place that much stock in them, he had no experience with this before and it was totally unheard of in Saiyan culture for someone to suffer with such an affliction. The immediate thought was to go to Bulma with this issue, but he couldn't. The fact that she was the centerpiece of the vision would cause her a great deal of emotional torment, especially with the activities that were portrayed – No, He could not tell her. This was his burden, but he'd have to find out what it meant soon.

Kakarot's approaching ki shocked Bardock out of his deep thought, bringing him back to the harsh reality of now having to confront his son. Kakarot was ignoring him, it was obvious from the first glance that he didn't want to listen to anything his father had to say, but Bardock was firm in his resolve.

“Son.” Bardock acknowledged. Kakarot continued walking, pretending he never heard his father.It was hard enough that he probably already knew where he'd been the entire time, it was another thing for his father to smell his fiendish sins on his skin.

“Kakarot!” Bardock yelled, finally earning the attention of his son. He walked over to him, sniffing the air.

“Dad I...” Kakarot began.

“You slept with a whore...” Bardock mused, smiling slightly at the discovery. “I thought for sure that you were just going to watch some of the dancers. I didn't think you had it in you.” Although he was proud of his son for finally giving into some of his baser urges, Bardock was disgusted that he had given in to a simple whore.

Kakarot frowned, unsure of what to make of his father's words.

“You aren't disappointed?”

“I am.” Bardock replied stoically.

“But...”

A glare from his father brought Kakarot to a standstill. Of course he was disappointed. Raditz was the son that did this sort of thing, not him, he was the one who took no pleasure in women and only sought to do his duty by the empire. He was not a degenerate, yet here he stood – Outside a pleasure slave establishment with his father bearing down on him. Kakarot's musings were cut short as his father began to speak once more.

“You disgrace yourself like this.” Bardock hissed, “Seeking comfort from one you do not desire.” He finished, testing the waters as to whether or not there was any substance to his vision.

Kakarot growled deep in his chest, his tail unfurled of it's own accord and thrashed about behind him. Bardock frowned. Kakarot's behavior proved the vision to be true. His son's behavior over the past few weeks should have been enough to clue him into his issue, but the thought was so outlandish. Kakarot only ever strived for power – To be a brilliant warrior, not to have a mate.

“So it's true...” Bardock murmured, shifting his gaze to the floor.

“What's true?”

“You wish to mate with Bulma.” Bardock replied, returning his gaze to his son. Kakarot made no attempt to deny the accusation, he simply stayed quiet.

“You cannot.” His father stated, his voice barely a whisper. The implications of his vision must be true, but yet he could not tell anyone – It would interfere with the natural course of things, something which Bardock did not wish to upset. Things must play out as they may, He resolved to only be there to pick up the pieces, wherever they fell in the end. He could warn his son, but do no more.

“I know. She is claimed.” Kakarot hissed, His tail had returned around his waist and he had balled his fists at his side. Bardock was surprised by his son's words.

“But...But she has no mark.” Bardock stuttered, confused as to how she is claimed, yet appears to have no mark or change in ki signature.

“Vegeta has claimed her. It won't be long now until he makes his move.” Kakarot replied, the growl returning low in his throat as he said the words. It was feral, almost menacing. Bardock understood now. The vision must have been false, or it could be changed – beyond a doubt. There was no way his son would go against the Prince, it would mean certain death. He obviously already knew Vegeta's intentions, so the vision must have only been a possibility, not the truth.

Bardock nodded, “Just so long as we understand each other. I care a great deal for Bulma, but she cannot become part of you. I realize your pain right now, but push it aside. It will only get worse when he takes her as his. You must have a clear mind.”

“I know.” Kakarot responded, turning to leave. Bardock let him go, knowing that he had duties to attend to.

 _'Unfortunately he will have to continue guarding her...But I'm sure he can handle it...'_ He thought, watching his son's form retreat down the hallway.

Checking the time on his scouter, he noted that he was late for his meeting with the King. Cursing himself, he flew off towards the King's office, narrowly avoiding all those in his way.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is posted mainly on another website, but as I get limited feedback, I thought I'd give this place a shot! Your opinions are welcomed.


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